Man suspected of DUI in crash on Golden Gate Bridge

May 16, 2011 1:57:21 PM PDT

A Colma man was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence after a multi-vehicle crash that closed lanes on the Golden Gate Bridge and injured three people Sunday night, a California Highway Patrol officer said.

Syed Ali, 37, allegedly caused the crash by rear-ending his 2007 Mercedes SL550 into a 1990 Mercedes 300CE driven by San Francisco resident Mara Lefkowitz, 39, in the southbound lane of U.S. Highway 101 on the bridge at about 8 p.m., CHP Sgt. Marcus Bartholomew said.

Lefkowitz's car spun out of control and hit the west curb of the bridge, before moving back across the southbound lanes into the northbound lanes, Bartholomew said.

As her Mercedes hit the east curb of the bridge, a 2008 Toyota Scion driven in the northbound lane by San Francisco resident, Raymond Hung, 35, crashed into Lefkowitz's car, he said.

At the same time, Ali crossed into the northbound lane and sideswiped a 2002 Honda Odyssey van driven by Peter Wittreich, 56, from Santa Rosa, Bartholomew said.

Wittreich lost control of the van, crossed into the southbound lanes, and hit the west curb railing of the bridge.

After hitting the curb, the van overturned and came to rest on its side blocking the southbound lanes of U.S. 101 for about 25 minutes, he said.

Ali's and Lefkowitz's cars came to rest blocking the northbound lanes of U.S. 101 for about 40 minutes, Bartholomew said.

The Sig-alert issued at about 8:20 p.m. was canceled at around 9:05 p.m.

Lefkowitz and Wittreich both suffered moderate injuries and were taken to San Francisco General Hospital and Kaiser Terra Linda in San Rafael, respectively.

Hung suffered moderate injuries and was taken to San Francisco General.

Ali was booked into San Francisco County Jail.

Information about the passengers in the vehicles was not released by the CHP.